Derrick Thomas' son is tackling his own path
By STEVE PENN
The Kansas City Star

It's been the Southeastern Conference versus the Big 12. Crimson Tide versus the Tigers. And for Derrion Thomas, the Tigers have the edge.

Thomas, a football standout at Blue Springs South High School, is close to making a decision on which college he'll attend. The son of the late Kansas City Chief Derrick Thomas had considered the University of Alabama, where his father played. Now he's strongly leaning toward the University of Missouri.

"It's the top choice for now," Thomas said over the weekend. "I've had a lot more communication with them. There's just more of a connection to Missouri."

Thomas will have a busy summer. While Carl Peterson, the former president and CEO of the Kansas City Chiefs, will present the late Derrick Thomas to the Hall of Fame for induction in August, Derrion Thomas will accept the trophy and render his own remarks.

He had started to prepare his speech for Canton, Ohio.

"I haven't had a chance to finish yet," Thomas said. "Obviously, I'll focus on some of his career. The biggest thing for me that I need to focus on is the person that he was. There's all the misconceptions out there. I think it will be a great opportunity to just clear that up."

Attorney Kevin Regan has served as a sort of surrogate father to Derrion.

"I love him like a son," Regan said. "We've been tight a long time. If Derrion Thomas goes to the University of Missouri, it will be the university's gain on a very large scale. This is one squared-away young man. He's grown up with some very adverse circumstances, with his dad passing in his formative years. Yet he's been able to overcome that."

Regan said Derrion has not only survived, he's excelled in life and in athletics.

"I've enjoyed watching him grow up into this wonderful young man," Regan said.

Thomas would like to study sports marketing at MU. He wants to become a sports agent.

"Football is something I like to do and pursue in college," Thomas said. "But as far as after that, I'm not really sure."

Thomas plans on redshirting his first year. He'll move from defensive end and wide receiver to outside linebacker. He's 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 208 pounds. He'll try to put on another 10 to 15 pounds this summer.

As a senior this past football season, he was sometimes dominating. He recorded 15 sacks and guided his team to the 6A state championship game.

At Alabama, he would have been compared to his father. At the University of Missouri, there won't be any such expectations. At MU, he just has to be Derrion Thomas.